Life Is But A Dream
by Erica McSwarek
Summary: What if the end of season 3 was all a dream? This is a ONE SHOT only!


**Since the day Sam told her that he needed to stay away from her, when he basically blamed her for Jerry, she gave him space. He also broke up with her that night at the Penny; left her crying in the rain. She stopped trying; only speaking when necessary. Even then there was no eye contact and it was yes sir or no sir. She rarely ever even called him that when they were first paired together.******

**Sam was dying inside without her. He really truly felt it was the best for her. That it was the only way he could keep her safe.******

**Andy would always love Sam and knew that he loved her even though he had never actually said it. She did what he asked **_**because**_** of these two things and it killed her inside.******

**An old case came back to haunt them like they sometimes do. John Gray, a man that had kidnapped a girl and held her for 7 years escaped a prisoner transport, attacked Andy and took her gun.******

**The entire division began immediately searching for him. While they searched for Gray they also checked on Eden, the girl he'd held all those years. When they went to her home they found that she had an appointment with a psychiatrist so they made their way to the office.****When they arrived they found the doctor had been attacked and a girl had been taken. So now not only were they searching for Gray they had the girl to worry about too.******

**When Gray knocked Andy down not only did he take her gun he took her phone too. They were all gathered trying to pick their next grid to search when he called Sam's phone demanding to see Eden. Everyone heard sirens in the background and knew he was close by.******

**Andy and Dov got the hotel and began searching. Andy found the girl in a freezer with a grenade taped to her hands, Gray was beyond reasoning.******

**He called Sam again. **_**"I want to see Eden!"**_****

**Sam and the others searched the crowd of people. "John, you know we can't do that." He whispered. **_**"Has anyone heard from Epstein or McNally?"**_** Everyone else was there and they shook their heads.******

**Their blood froze when Gray said. "You have 5 minutes to bring me Eden or Officer McNally and the girl die."******

**Sam swallowed back the bile. "John, there's no need to hurt anyone else."******

**The hysterical scream that rang through the phone made Oliver and Nick grab Sam. **_**"You're never going to bring me what I want." **_**Gray looked at Andy and the little girl. **_** "If I can't have her then I have no reason to live."**_****

**Andy's blood curdling scream and the loud explosion that followed put Sam to his knees. It seemed like hours before fire and rescue got in. A body bag was rolled out first and it took everyone to hold Sam back.******

**Sam saw Caroline wheeling out a stretcher and she was calling in vitals. "We have a 28 year old female with a foreign object lodged in her abdomen." Sam saw Andy at that moment and a piece of pipe was sticking out of her. "She's coded twice, we are five minutes out."******

**They quickly loaded her into the ambulance and Traci pushed her way into the back. All Sam could do was watch as the ambulance sped away.******

**Oliver drug Sam to the nearest squad and shoved him in. They drove lights and sirens to the hospital.******

**Sam found Traci sitting near the doors where they would've taken her. He sat down and took her hand. She had just been here not even 2 months before being told that the love of her life was gone.******

**When she looked up at him what was left of his heart shattered. A sob ripped through her as she said. **_**"She's gone Sam."**_****

**He couldn't breathe, surely he had heard her wrong. "No. No. She's going to be ok."**

**Traci's silent head shake and sobbing made Oliver's heart stop beating. They had just lost Jerry, how the hell were they supposed to deal with losing Andy too? Sam would never recover from this one, not after what he said to her.**

_**Flashback**_

_Andy had kept their break up as quiet as possible. His only guess was that she felt like everyone had enough to deal with. It took him a couple of weeks to figure out what had happened. He'd been in his own fog of grief after all._

_He watched as Sam watched Andy from across the bar. "Sammy?"_

_When his best friend cut his eyes at him he could see all of the pain he was holding back. "Not the time Oliver."_

_He was always known as the hopeless romantic. "Look brother, I know why you did it but..." He paused at Sam's glare. "There's been enough pain and loss Sammy. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you and..."_

_Sam had enough of his own guilt over breaking _both_ of their hearts. Before he realized it he slammed his beer bottle down and yelled. "Don't you think I know that?" He threw money down and stormed out._

**Oliver stood, staring at the floor as he tried to process the news he just heard. From behind him he heard a lot of voices and footsteps, Frank's standing out. "How's McNally?"**

**He could see Frank standing beside him as he said. "She didn't make it Frankie."**

**Everything felt like it was going in slow motion. He heard the gasps of the other rookies and then Frank said. "Hell no!" He watched as he grabbed the first person he found in a white lab coat.  
"I need to know what happened to Officer McNally! Now!"**

**He scared the man when he grabbed but seeing the sea of blue he just nodded. "Ok."**

**Frank paced as he waited. A few seconds later a doctor appeared and Frank had seen that look just days before. He grabbed the doctor and practically shook him. "Where is my officer?"**

**His insides screamed for the faces looking at him in anticipation. He'd been in the ER two months ago when one of theirs had been brought in and he hadn't made it either. The same faces were here for this officer. "I umm...Sir, I'm very sorry." He swallowed hard as he looked around at the devastated face. "Officer McNally, she just...she...the damage was just too severe."**

**Frank shook him a little harder. "No! I don't believe you. I need to see her. I w**_**ant**_** to see her." How the hell was he supposed to get his best friend much less his division through another tragic loss?**

**He watched as the doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry sir. You don't want to see her like that."**

**Frank's voice cracked when he said. "How the hell am I supposed to tell them we've lost someone else?" He nodded to Sam and Traci. "You see them?" The doctor nodded. "The detective that was killed two months ago was **_**her**_** fiancé and **_**his**_** best friend. Officer Mc...Andy was **_**his **_**girlfriend and **_**her**_** best friend."**

**The doctor put his hand on Frank's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."**

**Frank nodded and stepped back. He watched the seven people that this was going to destroy. He didn't have the words. Traci had to be sedated because she couldn't get it together. Noelle was thankful that her sister was in town to help with Olivia. She and the rookies stayed with Traci while Frank and Oliver took Sam home.**

He bolted awake in the middle of the night screaming. "_ANDY!"_

He felt two hands grab him. "Sam! Sam! Wake up!"

Sam was drenched in sweat and his heart was pounding so hard he thought it was going to come out of his chest. His voice cracked with grief. _"Andy, I'm so sorry."_ His chest felt like it was in a vice and he could barely breathe. _"I'm sorry. I never should've let you go."_

Sam had been having nightmares since Andy was assaulted and Gail was abducted. Gail had been found within 24 hours, everyone came home safe but Sam wasn't sleeping well. She guessed between the assault in her apartment and the fight she had with Perick when she found Gail had something to do with it. Sam had decided to go with Jerry because they thought it was the bartender at the hotel. When they figured out it was the cab driver they immediately called for backup. When they arrived she was found stabbed and Perick was on top of her dead with two bullets to the heart.

She crawled over and straddled Sam's lap, wrapping her arms around him. "Sam! Feel my heart beating?" She knew the moment he snapped out of it, his arms wrapped tightly around her and rocked them. Andy kissed the top of his head and _shh'd _him until he finally calmed down.

Andy gently pushed him back on the bed. "It's ok. I'm ok. Jerry's ok." He couldn't hide the contents of the dreams from her.

He kissed her deeply and kept her close as he finally began to calm. He still hadn't said the words to her but he showed her _every day _that he loved her. "Andy?"

She rose up on an elbow and looked at him. "Do you need me to get you something? Water maybe?"

She started to move away and he grabbed her. "No. I mean no water." He rolled them over so he was on top of her. "I'm sorry." He ran the pad of his thumb over her furrowed brows. "I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to say I love you."

Her smiled blinded him as she shook her head. "It's ok Sam. I meant it when I said you didn't have to say it back." She cupped his face. "You show me every single day that you love me. We're going to get through this _together. _Ok?"

He smiled a little for her and nodded as he brushed his nose across hers; an intimate gesture that he'd only ever done with her. "I do love you and you'll be hearing it all the time. Ok?"

She could barely nod before he crashed his lips into hers. She had finally been released for _physical activities_ and it had been three weeks since they'd been together. She pulled him closer and whispered against his lips. _"I love you too Sam."_

They made love and sleep over took Sam. Andy watched him for a little linger before she fell asleep too. The next day she was partnered with Oliver. He was as good at reading her as Sam was. Once they were in the cruiser he said. "You ok McNally?" She half smiled and gave him a single nod. "You forget I've been married for fifteen years. What's going on?"

Andy couldn't help the little laugh. "It's Sam." She looked out her window and wrung her hands. "He's umm...he's been having really bad nightmares since...you know."

Oliver nodded. "Since you were assaulted and then stabbed." He cleared his throat. "Sammy's never let any woman in like he's let you. He loves you and knowing Sammy he blames himself for what happened."

She knew that was what it was. "I'm worried about him Oliver. These dreams, these _nightmares_ are very vivid. And..." She was a little concerned about this part. "Jerry and I both die in them."

He had not been expecting that part of it. _"Shit." _ He had no idea what to say now. They drove in silence for a few minutes then he said. "Let me talk to Jerry and Frank about it."

Andy simply nodded and they didn't speak about it for the rest of the day. Sam had been partnered with Nick for the day. At lunch they met up with Oliver and Andy. She got him to go to the back of the restaurant where the bathrooms were. As soon as they were out of sight Andy pulled him into a hug.

Sam had never been much for being affectionate but Andy brought out a new side of him. He held her tight. "I'm ok sweetheart. I promise."

She looked up and cupped his face. "I know." Then she kissed him softly.

They went back to their table, ate lunch and after shift went home. Sam wasn't in the mood for the Penny and Andy wasn't in the mood to go without him. They grabbed Chinese before heading to his place for the night.

Sam made it through the night without any nightmares and both were relieved the next morning. Oliver's solution was a party; poker night for the guys on his deck and the ladies could have the house. Andy loved the idea and the other rookies were surprised at the invitation.

A week later they were all gathered at the Shaw's for the night. They had been playing for an hour or so when Sam said. "I've been having nightmares." The ones that knew him best chalked it up to the alcohol. They let him keep talking too. Sam took a long drink of his beer as he looked around at his old friends and the rookies that had become their family. "It's the same one over and over. It starts when Andy and Gail are...when they..." Frank reached over and squeezed his shoulder. They were all too aware of what he was going to say. "I won't leave Andy's side so we start with the hotel and Jerry goes to see the cab driver that took Peck home. Andy and I strike out so we head to Perick's. We find Jerry on the floor bleeding and Peck is gone. Jerry dies at the hospital, I end up losing it and blaming Andy. I break up with her, a bunch of things happen with work and then she...she dies before I can make it up to her."

None of the men had expected that kind of dream. Oliver's heart hurt for his friend. "Sammy, your girl is ok." He nodded to Jerry. "Our brother is ok."

Sam half smiled at Jerry and nodded. "I want to marry her." All the guys broke out in cheering and banging on the table. Sam laughed. "Yeah. Yeah. I know. Who would've thought Sam Swarek would ever want to get married?"

He watched as all of the men raised their hands. Nick said. "I may not have been here since the beginning but even I can tell."

He really was an open book when it came to his feelings for her. "Yeah. I guess it's pretty obvious." They all laughed as they nodded in agreement.

Andy smiled as she heard the guys cheering, she could only imagine what it was about. Noelle said. "It's nice to finally see that." Andy looked at her questioningly. "The smile, it's been missing for a while."

She smiled at Noelle. "It's been a rough few weeks." She looked towards the deck. "Sam's been having nightmares where Jerry and I die."

Noelle had always been tough on them but she was like a mother to them too. She sighed and put her hand on Andy's. "I've known Sammy for a _long_ time, never seen him like he is with you. He may not say it but he loves you."

Andy's smile could have lit up the city. "He told me." She giggled a little. "We're in trouble aren't we?"

Noelle laughed and nodded. "You two have been in trouble since the day you met."

Andy was about to say something when she felt him. Sam said. "Best trouble I've ever been in." He leaned in and kissed her neck. "I love you."

Goose bumps popped up and she shivered. "I love you too."

Things began to return to normal, Sam's nightmares eventually completely faded. The following year was a big one for the division starting with Noelle and Frank getting married. Followed with Jerry and Traci then Sam and Andy and ending with Nick and Gail. They all got their happy endings.


End file.
